


The Next Adventure

by Mari_Writes



Series: Julance 2020 [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday Party, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Blue Paladin Lance (Voltron), Canon Universe, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Developing Relationship, Established Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Everyone Is Alive, Family, Happy Birthday Lance (Voltron), JuLance, JuLance Challenge 2020, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Queen Allura (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25600594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mari_Writes/pseuds/Mari_Writes
Summary: Lance, having spent the last nine months reuniting with his family in Cuba, is realizing he might miss Space.On his birthday, a special guest arrives to celebrate, and Lance is given a chance to start anew.He's ready.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Lance's Family (Voltron)
Series: Julance 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814986
Comments: 2
Kudos: 101





	The Next Adventure

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Here's my entry for JuLance 2020, Day 28: Birthday.
> 
> This is probably my favorite JuLance fic I've written so far. I would like to dedicate it to three people who probably have no clue I exist but have inspired me to write VLD content even 1 1/2 years after the show's end: [Leggy](https://twitter.com/arabootiful), [Star](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightment/pseuds/starlightment) and [Ikimaru](https://ikimaru.tumblr.com)! Thanks for being awesome, you guys!
> 
> If you enjoy this story please comment and share on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mari_writes1/status/1288648211201048577) and [Tumblr](https://mari-writes.tumblr.com/post/625027921205248000/the-next-adventure)!

Lance lost three years of his life when he was in space.

Three years. The equivalent of his entire time in middle school, or his first three years at the Garrison. He was technically not even a teenager anymore—he was about to turn twenty. He was an adult.

He had lost _three years_.

Honestly, it had been worth it. He and the other Voltron paladins had saved Earth—hell, they had saved the entire universe. Him sacrificing a few years was nothing in comparison to what could have happened if they hadn’t stopped the Galra Empire.

But yeah, _three years_. It was still so weird. His sister had finally grown to almost match his own height. His nieces and nephews were in completely different grades at school. One of his brothers had gotten married. And his grandmother… well, she was gone now. So much had changed.

He had been back home in Cuba for nine months, recovering. His family had welcomed him with open arms, his mother especially. She had been in tears when he requested his old room back. It had been incredible to see everyone again, and Lance had really needed a mental break.

But now he was restless. After Queen Allura and Coran had left on the newly built castle ship, bound for New Altea with Romelle and the rest of the Altean citizens, things had been… slow. He had helped out on his parent’s farm, done some media appearances and gladly participated in some humanitarian work across South America.

He kept in contact with Hunk and Pidge, who’d decided to stay at the Garrison and help work on new projects using the newly discovered Earthen-Altean technology. Shiro had gone back to Japan to see his parents, taking Adam with him. And Keith—well, he was back in space, of course.

The Blade of Marmora was undergoing a major transformation. They were becoming a relief organization, traveling to and helping planets still recovering from the war. They had brought people from Earth to help with their mission, and were planning to pick up other volunteers wherever they stopped.

Keith had invited Lance to come along. In fact, he had almost _begged_ him, insisting that Lance was “the best man for the job,” and that he “couldn’t do it without” him. Both declarations had tugged on Lance’s heartstrings to the point where he’d almost accepted. But he hadn’t been ready to leave Earth just yet.

Begrudgingly, Keith had finally accepted Lance’s answer. Before leaving, he gave him a special communicator and demanded he stay in touch (they had), as well as a devastatingly passionate hug that Lance was still pondering over months later.

He sometimes wondered if he’d made the right choice. He missed Keith a lot more than he’d expected. And he missed space, and adventure, and flying. Blue was safe at the bottom of the ocean, just off the Cuban coast, but Lance didn’t think it right to call her when it wasn’t an emergency.

It was now late July. His birthday, actually. Lance was currently sprawled out on one of his family’s ancient bath towels on Varadero Beach. A large sunhat was lying atop his face, shielding it while the rest of his body, clad only in a pair of blue swim trunks, soaked in the sun. A longboard lay next to him, covered in saltwater grime and sand.

He listened to the waves crashing relentlessly against the shore. The sound of children further down the beach playing volleyball. A passing boat’s horn piercing through the calm.

And then… a voice close by uttering a simple greeting: “Well, if it isn’t the son of Poseidon.”

Lance’s eyes shot open. He knew that voice. There was no mistaking it—there was no other voice _like_ it in the entire galaxy. In a frenzy he sat up, his hat flying off as he frantically looked around for…

Keith was still a couple meters away, making his way towards him awkwardly on the dry sand. Lance’s eyes took in everything. His black hair was longer, braided to one side over his shoulder. He was wearing a pair of black leggings and a red t-shirt, holding a pair of Doc Marten-esque boots by the laces. He looked hilariously out of place.

But god, was Lance happy to see him. “Keith!” He cried, standing up and not bothering to brush off any sand before charging towards him. A smile broke out on his friend’s face, and it looked like he was about to say something before Lance practically knocked him over in a hug.

Lance felt him startle, but he didn’t care. He buried his nose in Keith’s neck, breathing in deeply and reveling in the fact that his favorite person was here, with him, safe and alive. “What are you doing here?” He shivered as he felt Keith’s arms gingerly wind around his lower back.

“What do you think?” Keith chuckled. “It’s your birthday.”

Lance blinked. He stepped back slightly, though he left his arms resting on Keith’s shoulders. He wasn’t ready to let go again. “Oh.”

“I told you I’d be back for the next major celebration, didn’t I?” Keith wasn’t letting go of him, either. They were in a very… intimate position. Lance was surprised at how calm he felt about it.

“Right.” Lance smirked. “Because my birthday is a lot more important than the Fourth of July, or Carnaval…”

“Obviously,” Keith said seriously. Lance stared. Gosh, Keith’s eyes were as ridiculous as ever. Blue-purple-galaxy orbs. Absolutely ridiculous.

“So,” Lance drawled, forcing himself to step out of the embrace. He noticed Keith’s gaze wander from his face and down his bare chest, which sent a slight thrill through his body.“If you’re here for my birthday, that means you’ll help with the party, right?”

Keith’s head shot up. “Huh?”

Lance laughed. He turned and jogged to his towel, grabbing it and his hat before hefting his surfboard up over his head. Passing by a still confused-looking Keith, he winked. “C’mon buddy, we’ve got corn to shuck and drinks to mix.”

The party lasted all evening and into the night. Lance’s family had spared no effort, hiring a local band and decorating the backyard with hundreds of twinkling lights. Everyone—friends, friends of friends, coworkers, neighbors—showed up. Lance counted twenty people in the first hour he’d never met in his life.

Lance’s brother recruited people to man the bar, serving up everything from beer to fancy cocktails. Everyone brought food, transforming the event into a massive potluck. And of course, Lance’s mother made dessert: a giant vanilla rum cake. Lance’s nieces and nephews helped decorate it with large blue flowers.

It was going on 2am when Lance finally admitted he was exhausted. He was sitting on the back porch, nursing a bottle of water as he observed remnants of the celebration. Most people had gone home or passed out somewhere on the property. The band had dispersed, though a lone guitarist was still lounging on the grass where the “dance floor” had been earlier, plucking out random chords.

“Finally tapping out?”

Lance grinned as Keith took a seat next to him. “Yeah, I think so. But don’t you dare make fun, I saw you snoozing on the couch before midnight.”

“Cut me some slack, I just go back from space.” They both chuckled. Lance felt warm, and not just because of the stifling humidity. It had been so nice to have Keith there. They had spent most of the party catching up, drinking and challenging each other at dumb competitions. (Lance was still the champion of catching peanuts in his mouth.)

They had also danced. Lance taught Keith a few basic Cuban forms and surprisingly, Keith did pretty well. At one point the band had switched to a slower song and, well, Lance would be lying if he said he hadn’t almost fainted when Keith switched their positions so that _he_ was leading _Lance_.

“I’m really glad you came,” Lance muttered, and maybe it was the alcohol still in his system that gave him the courage to lean into Keith’s side and lay his head on his shoulder. He felt Keith stiffen, then relax almost immediately. A strong arm wrapped around his shoulder.

“Me too,” Keith murmured. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks.”

They sat there in silence for a while before Keith finally spoke up again. “So… what’s next?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that, Mr. Universe?”

“Mr. U…” Keith coughed. “Um, well, I already went to see Shiro and Adam in Yokohama, and I visited Pidge and Hunk when I docked at the Garrison. So I think I’ll be heading back to the Blade headquarters now. Kosmo and my mom are there.”

“Take me with you.”

Lance was surprised at himself for just blurting it out. But it was what he wanted to say, and he was done censoring his feelings. He needed to own up to the fact that he was ready to leave home again. And he was ready to leave with _Keith_ in particular.

“Okay.” Keith didn’t hesitate in his answer. Giddy, Lance turned towards him. He reached up, tugging at the other man’s braid, which was pretty much a disaster after hours of partying.

“Look at you, accepting companionship right away,” he said, smirking. “I feel like a proud parent.”

Keith scowled, but there was no heat to it. “I’m the one who asked you first, months ago.” He grabbed Lance’s wrist. “So… would you want to leave soon, or…”

“I have supplies already packed in Blue. I’ve been waiting for a while, you know.”

“Oh.” Keith blinked. A small smiled creeped onto his face. “That’s… good. Great.”

Lance beamed.

A few days later, Lance was standing on Varadero Beach in the shade of Blue, who was sitting on her haunches waiting patiently for him to board. The lion caused quite a stir—most of the locals had seen her before, but it wasn’t that common. A TV news team had stopped by so they could interview Lance before his departure. Their cameras were trained on him; the local hometown hero who’d helped save Earth.

His family were gathered around, some in tears but others shouting words of encouragement. His nieces and nephew were glued to his legs, demanding he take them with him (or at least bring them back a "space souvenir"). Lance noticed that his sister had taken Keith aside. She had him by the elbow and was pointing at him threateningly, and whatever she was saying was causing his friend to glow bright red.

His mother pulled Lance into one more bone-crushing huge. Despite the fact she was almost an entire foot shorter, the woman held some incredible strength. “You are no longer a child, or even a teenager,” she said, her voice trembling. “You are a man now. But you must remember one thing.” She pulled back, fire in her eyes. “No matter how old you get, you will always be my baby. You are my baby, Lance. Please come back to me.”

Lance blinked his tears away. “I promise.”

He walked to Blue, holding his hand out to Keith, who jogged over and grabbed it. They smiled at each other. “Ready for the next adventure?” Keith asked as they made their way up into the lion.

Lance took one last look at his family as the hatch closed. He gripped Keith’s hand. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I think I am.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like the think that Klance gets together slowly but so easily that they just sort of... fall into a relationship. They don't need any big confessions. They don't even "date." At the end of this fic they're holding hands and cuddling... so I'd say in a month they probably progressed to kissing. Then sleeping together. Then years later they're like "we should get married." LOL
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mari_writes1/status/1288648211201048577)  
> [Tumblr](https://mari-writes.tumblr.com/post/625027921205248000/the-next-adventure)


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